AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 17
Danielson #Danielson
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Daniel Garcia scored the biggest victory of his young career by defeating Bryan Danielson via referee stoppage on the July 27 episode of AEW Dynamite. Wednesday, the self-proclaimed “Dragon Slayer” sought to make it 2-0 against Danielson as they battled in a Best 2-Out-of-3 Falls main event.
Would The American Dragon avenge the humbling defeat or would Garcia earn more momentum for both himself and the Jericho Appreciation Society as All Out approaches on September 4?
Find out with this recap of the August 17 episode, including grades, reaction and analysis of all of the night’s action.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
For the first time since announcing he would be taking time off to get surgery for an injured foot, AEW world champion CM Punk spoke to the fans and wasted little time dropping the pipebombs he has become synonymous with over his career.
He took aim at Hangman Page, keeping that feud alive, before turning his attention to interim world champion Jon Moxley. He drew on Moxley’s history as one-third of The Shield, insulted his friend, Eddie Kingston, and insinuated he was the big-money draw in AEW.
Moxley had less to say but had no problem throwing hands with Punk, resulting in a brawl that needed numerous security guards and AEW coach Ace Steel to break it up.
This was a red-hot opening segment that saw Punk pick up right where he left off back in November with his tweener style or promos, targeting top babyfaces while, himself, remaining immensely popular with fans.
His words cut like a knife and during the promo, he revealed that he will square off with Moxley at All Out in Chicago. That match will be one of the most anticipated bouts of the year if the participants can keep up the heat that was omnipresent here.
Throw in what should be great, physical ring work and you have every reason to believe the suddenly personal main event will be on the short list of major Match of the Year candidates.
It will be interesting to see if Punk makes a full heel turn in the near future, too, especially with the likes of Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Eddie Kingston, and the imminently returning Kenny Omega poised to make up the top of the babyface roster.
Grade
A+
Top Moments
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Daniel Garcia stunned Bryan Danielson three weeks earlier to set this one up.
The young competitor stunned the AEW fans in Charleston, West Virginia by cleanly defeating The American Dragon in the first fall with a dragon sleeper. A DDT on the concrete floor during the commercial break further disadvantaged Danielson. Garcia led one fall to none.
A bloodied Danielson evened the score, outwrestling his overzealous opponent and scoring a quick pinfall victory from out of nowhere. Danielson and Garcia tied at one fall apiece.
The action ensued in fall number three with neither man able to grab a sustained offensive. Ultimately, Danielson applied a triangle choke to the similarly bloodied Garcia, fended off a last-gasp effort to fight out of it, and transitioned into a LeBell Lock for the submission victory. Danielson won two falls to one.
After the match, the competitors exchanged a sign of mutual respect before Chris Jericho left the commentary position and attacked the victor. Garcia stopped him, smacked his finger away and stood tall as fans chanted “you’re a wrestler!”
The biggest takeaway here was that Garcia is a star of the future for AEW and the teased babyface turn might be the best thing to happen to him in his young career.
Sure, joining the Jericho Appreciation Society earned him considerable television exposure but he never fit in as a so-called “sports entertainer” given his penchant for badass technical wrestling. Blackpool Combat Club, on the other hand, has always appeared to be a better fit.
Might an alliance with Danielson be the “in” to that faction that Garcia needs to take the next step in his AEW career? Given his showing here, and the fact that his strength is in the mat-based technical style, it would certainly appear so.
Result
Danielson defeated Garcia, 2-0
Grade
B+, with the only thing keeping it from a higher grade being the commercial breaks that occasionally hurt the flow
Top Moments
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
In lightning-quick succession, Moxley called out Punk and another pull-apart ensued, Steamboat confronted the Jericho Appreciation Society and suggested Danielson is a better mentor for Garcia, and the Gunn Club squashed The Varsity Blonds in mere seconds.
After the match, Billy congratulated sons Colten and Austin on their dominant victory over Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison, only to receive a beatdown from his own children after Stokely Hathaway appeared.
The Acclaimed made the save, chasing the second-generation stars out of the ring and reuniting with the WWE Hall of Famer to wrap things up.
The brawl continued the red-hot program between world and interim world champions, even if it was short-lived. Steamboat planting the seeds for Danielson to mentor Garcia was a nice move and utilized his star more effectively than just as a timekeeper.
The Gunn Club stuff was fine, and Anthony Bowens and Max Caster “scissoring Daddy Ass” was a fun call by the commentary team, but The Acclaimed really is better than all of this and needs to move up the tag team ranks quickly, to take advantage of their considerable popularity at this point.
Result
The Gunn Club defeated The Varisty Blonds
Grades
A for the Moxley-Punk brawl; B for the Steamboat vignette; C- for the “match” and aftermath
Top Moments
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The feud between Jungle Boy and Christian Cage wrote its latest chapter this week, with the former officially challenging Captain Charisma to a match at All Out. Cage, a disingenuous heel of the greatest kind, tried talking his way out of the match by reuniting with his former protege.
It did not work.
Jungle Boy beat the ever-loving hell out of the former WWE and Impact Wrestling world champion, repeatedly bashing his skull into the steel stairs before doctors broke up the beatdown.
This was really smartly booked, mostly because it supported what Cage claimed in his promo. Jungle Boy is out of control and allowed his rival to manipulate him into proving it. The grizzled veteran is lightyears ahead of the younger competitor and will utilize his experience to get him as far ahead as possible.
The storyline has been one of the best in all of AEW for months now and it does not appear that will change anytime soon.
Grade
B+
Top Moments
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Toni Storm looked to continue her march toward an AEW Women’s Championship match against Thunder Rosa by defeating KiLynn King in singles competition.
A competitive match saw King control throughout the commercial break, only for Storm to come back after countering a top-rope side suplex attempt into a crossbody.
Storm utilized her trademark corner hip checks and put King away with Storm Zero for the hard-fought win.
Storm feels like the surest thing to beat Rosa for the title but that program has been underwhelming, to say the least and a win over King, who has not been seen on AEW television in over a year, is hardly the way to build anticipation for the championship clash at All Out.
With that said, King is a strong wrestler who probably should have been signed to the company during her last run there. Hopefully, this opened up some eyes about her ability to be a player in the most inconsistently booked division in the company.
Result
Storm defeated King
Grade
C+
Top Moments
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The entire world knew that, with the introduction of the AEW World Trios Championships, it was only a matter of time before Kenny Omega returned to the squared circle and joined The Young Bucks in pursuit of them.
The former AEW world champion did just that Wednesday night, joining Matt and Nick Jackson in battle against La Faccion Ingobernable’s Andrade El Idolo and Rush and the debuting Dragon Lee.
There was little in the way of celebration for Omega as he quickly found himself on the defensive, beaten down and cut off from his partners. A desperation tag sparked a comeback for the Elite but their opposition, who were teaming for the very first time, again turned the tide in their favor.
Omega tagged in to pop the crowd and spark a second comeback attempt and while he succeeded momentarily, the commentary team put over how he is still clearly not completely healthy.
He certainly did not look it as he was wiped out at ringside by a torpedo-like Dragon Lee.
Omega recovered, though, rocked the masked luchador with the V-Trigger and put him away with the One-Winged Angel to score the win.
And just like that, the march to All Out has picked up considerably.
Omega may not be healthy, or he might be expertly selling the idea that he is not, but his presence was met with overwhelming positivity by fans whose love for him has never waned.
While it was great to see him back, it is his health that will be the story of the match and the forthcoming tournament semifinals match. He sported a brace, nursed his shoulder and barely executed his finisher to win the match.
Is he fully back from injury or is this simply part of a larger narrative that will culminate with Omega rediscovering his confidence and health to win gold with his best friends? It is the most prominent and interesting story worth watching in a tournament that feels very much like a foregone conclusion.
This was a damn good main event, elevated by the presence of the Bucks and their ability to show up and show out regardless of the situation. While they will always have their critics and detractors, their consistent ability to deliver in key situations is second-to-none and tonight, they helped elevate a match that was more story-heavy with the Omega injury stuff than some may have expected.
Result
The Elite defeated La Faccion Ingobernable
Grade
A
Top Moments